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Does the poor guy really still believe he and Lexi are meant to be? After all this time?
“Deanna.” He studies me the way I imagine he studies a landscape he’s drawing, noting every detail.
“River,” I say, mimicking his tone. Then recall our conversation earlier by the pool. “Ida’s not coming?”
“No. Is Lexi all right?” He catches himself and bites his tongue. He’s giving it all away. Lexi made plans with him for tonight.
But I already know that. He just didn’t know I knew that.
“Lexi is held up with an investor,” I say. That’s mostly true. “She asked me to keep you entertained in the meantime.”
“Why?”
I feign offense. “Am I not entertaining?”
He doesn’t say yes, but he wears theyesall over his face.
Charm, I tell myself. I have all of Lexi’s charm. “An hour or two, max. We’ll go to a bar. She’ll meet us there later. I’m sure you don’t want to wait around here, at a stuffy party.”
He stares at me with apprehension.
“Unless you’d rather reschedule? You are on East Coast time.”
“I’m fine.”
“Great.” I pull Lexi’s keys from my pocket and tap the fob. The car beeps as it unlocks.
Shit. Am I really doing this?
I fumble with the car door. It takes me three tries to open it.
“Are you all right?” River asks.
No. Of course not. How does anyone keep another person’s date entertained enough he doesn’t bail? “I’m great.”
“You are?”
“A bar.” That’s what I said. “One in Anaheim.”
His lips twitch. “The one bar in Anaheim?”
“It’s your kind of place. I promise. And Lexi loves it, too.” She loves any place with music and alcohol, especially one with a theme, so she must love the place I have in mind. “Trust me.”
He stands there, at the trunk of the car, and studies me again. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Keep me away from Lexi.”
“Why would I do that?” I ask innocently.
“I don’t know,” he says, likely recalling the advice I gave him at Lexi’s Sweet Sixteen party, before he left for New York. “Why would you do that?”
“I wouldn’t.” I motion to the passenger side. “Get in. We’ll have fun. A ton of fun.”
He raises a brow. “You know how to have fun?”
“With the best of them,” I quip.
